Filing receptacle



Ap 5, 1955 c. c. BRAY 2,705,564.

FILING RECEPTACLE Filed March 22, 1952 INVENTOR. (2556/? 6, 3/9/71.

United States Patent FILING RECEPTACLE' Clessa C. Bray, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor of one-half to Nellie D. Widmer Application March 22, 1952, Serial No. 278,036

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-51) This invention relates to a filing receptacle for file clerks, and more particularly to an accessory for retaining letters, cards and the like therein in such manner as to facilitate the filing thereof in the usual battery of drawers.

As is well known, a file clerk frequently has several hundred letters, cards and the like to file in filing cabinets or drawers which are at different levels and in different columns. It is thus of great important that the material for filing be retained in such a position that the information thereon pertinent to a selection of the correct drawer can be viewed from any and all angles. The conventional devices heretofore employed have been of the type that retain the material in a horizontal position. It is obvious that the information needed for rapid and accurate filing cannot be viewed readily when in such a position.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a device of such character and construction that the material will be retained in a position where it can easily be viewed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable device which can be detachably mounted upon the handle of any desired filing drawer. With such a construction the device can be moved from one vantage point to another with a maximum of case.

It is a still further object of the present invention 0 provide a filing accessory having a spring actuated backing plate that will hold the material securely in a position where it can be readily viewed while at the same time prevented from slipping, sliding to one side or falling forward or backward. As a consequence, once the front sheet or card is removed and properly filed, the next sheet will be exposed where the information thereon can easily be read to enable that sheet to be filed properly; and so on ad infinitum.

It is frequently necessary for a file clerk to file material in that type of folder characterized by fasteners to which the sheets are anchored in the conventionalmanner. In such instances it is, of course, necessary that the folder be placed upon a supporting surface and then opened to enable the material to be filed therein. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a device which not only has a receptacle for the material to be filed, but which also has a shelf upon which the file folders can be placed in order that they may be opened and material filed therein. This arrangement makes unnecessary the support of the folder upon the lap where it is difficult to handle, or upon a desk or supporting surface remote from the material to be filed.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a device which is characterized by the receptacle having a swivel connection to the shelf so that it may be swung arcuately in one direction or the other to enable flie file clerk to view better the information on the material retained thereby.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a device in which the filing material receptacle is detachably connected to the shelf so that either may be used independently of the other, and so that either may be supported on the handle of the drawer.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention with a part of the shelf broken away.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view thereof.

Fig. 4 is an end view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings, the shelf upon which the folders may be disposed when the filing material is to be filed therein rather than in one of the filing drawers, is shown at 10. When in use, the shelf projects outwardly in a horizontal plane and in suspended relation from the handle of the filing drawer to which the device is secured. At such times it is not necessary to provide any footrest 11. However, when the device is not in use and is placed to one side upon a desk or tabletop, it is desirable to make certain that it will be supported in a level position, and for that reason the footrest 11 is provided.

The inner end of the shelf is suitably secured to the bracket 12 which is substantially U-shaped in cross section as shown in Fig. 2. A re-entrant opening 13 is formed in the bracket, it being of such size and dimensions as to receive therewithin the handle of a filing drawer. When so mounted, the lower portion of the bracket bears upon the drawer below the handle, thereby supporting the device in the position shown in the drawings. There is also provided in the bracket the vertically disposed slot 14 for reception of the depending support member 15 which has a hinge connection 16 to the rear face 17 of the filing receptacle shown generally at 18. By reason of the hinge connection it is possible to swivel the filing receptacle from one side to the other as shown in Fig. 1 so that the file clerk will be able to view with ease the material to be filed.

The filing receptacle itself has the side walls 19 and the bottom wall 20 in addition to the back wall 17, but is open at the front and top as shown particularly in Fig. 1. Arranged in spaced vertical relation on the side walls adjacent their front edges are the inwardly directed plurality of pins or pegs 21 against which the material to be filed bears, and by which it is supported in upright position. These pins not only support the material, but even more important, retain it in such manner that the information printed or typed thereon is always exposed to view. This is of paramount importance to a filing receptacle. A backing plate 22 to which is suitably secured a resilient member 23 is loosely disposed within the receptac e.

In operation the material to be filed is interposed within the receptacle between the backing plate and the vertically disposed pins. As a result, regardless of the number of sheets placed within the receptacle, those sheets are always biased forwardly by the backing plate into engagement with the pins so that the sheets are held in an upright position and will be prevented from slipping or sliding to one side or the other, or falling forwardly or rearwardly. The lower portion of the exposed front end of the receptacle may be bridged by the member 24. To this member there may be secured a tray 25 for the reception of pencils, clips, fasteners or any other media which a filing clerk needs.

The depending support member 15 shown in detail in Fig. 4 has its lower end inwardly curved or tapered so that instead of being received by the vertical slot in bracket 12 it may be positioned independently of the bracket within the handle of a filing drawer where the receptacle will, of course, be supported in vertical position. As a consequence of this construction the filing receptacle may, when desired, be detached from the bracket and the shelf and supported by the handle of any desired drawer. Of course, when the file clerk wishes to use the shelf, the depending support member may be inserted within the vertical slot 14 whereupon the entire unit may be supported by the handle of the filing drawer. It is also possible for the shelf and bracket to be secured to the handle without a use of the filing receptacle. In short, either may be used independently of the other, or both may be used together.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing; description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

A filing receptacle comprising a body having a rear wall, a bottom wall extending forwardly from the lower edge of said rear wall, side walls projecting forwardly from the side edges of said rear wall at substantially right angles thereto and connected at their lower ends with said bottom, a front wall connecting the lower front edges of said sides and terminating a short distance above said bottom, a plurality of pins connected to the forward ends of each of said side walls in spaced parallelism and projecting toward one another, a flat follower plate arranged in upstanding position and resting at its lower edge upon said bottom with its side edges spaced from said side walls and terminating at its upper end beyond the uppermost of said pins, and a bowed spring disposed trans- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 88,777 Doudna Apr. 13, 1869 904,080 Orin Nov. 17, 1908 947,190 Rose Jan. 18, 1910 1,089,882 Thomas Mar. 10, 1914 1,271,508 Hall July 2, 1918 1,606,982 Wenger Nov. 16, 1926 2,211,199 Corken Aug, 13. 1940 

